The Fall of Hyperion

mass market paperback, 517 pages

English language

Published April 11, 1991 by Bantam.

ISBN:
978-0-553-28820-9
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4 stars (188 reviews)

On the world called Hyperion, beyond the law of the Hegemony of Man, there waits the creature called the Shrike. There are those who worship it. There are those who fear it. And there are those who have vowed to destroy it. In the Valley of the Time Tombs, where huge, brooding structures move backward through time, the Shrike waits for them all. On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope--and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands.

7 editions

Review of 'The fall of Hyperion' on 'GoodReads'

5 stars

I thought I was happy to stop at just Hyperion, having read a bunch of intriguing sci Fi vignettes with a satisfying cliff hanger, but this one goes from intriguing to Exploding Brain meme levels of reveals and plots within plots. It was slow to get going but I'm super happy I stuck with it.

Review of 'The Fall of Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

Coming to grips with this book is like coming to grips with quantum mechanics. You can see what's happening, but it's tough to understand why it's happening.

The book is a triumph. It's a mind-bending opus that incorporates poetry, religion, philosophy, and intrigue. With Hyperion as its prelude, The Fall of Hyperion delivers on its promise of a worthy conclusion (despite my fears that it would end on yet another cliffhanger, something for which Mr. Simmons has a talent for writing.) Enemies shift, and characters grow in unexpected ways.

Despite these laudable qualities, I feel like I'd need a degree in literature AND religion to truly "get" this book. There is some weighty stuff in here. Mr. Simmons juggles multiple characters in multiple locations in multiple timelines with effortless aplomb, and I applaud his ability.

For me, however, reading the Fall of Hyperion was like being trapped in a sandstorm …

Review of 'The Fall of Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Simply amazing book even though not that much is happening after all. The different characters stories were told so differently and engaging it really felt like the character telling his story. Obviously the stories were also very good, especially the one about the child.

The beginning feels a bit overwhelming with all the terms of this science fiction world but in time you'll understand the world more and more. And all the worldbuilding is done "on the way" - it never gets in the way of the story being told itself.

If you like science fiction i'd urge you to read this book, at least the first story (you'll know when it's finished).

Review of 'The Fall of Hyperion' on Goodreads

5 stars

Wowsers, what a ride. Fascinating universe, intriguing and wide-ranging characters, and a huge, complex story arc - perhaps at times too huge and complex. I never could really get fully on board with the mythical/metaphysical component woven throughout, which at times made things a little rough to get through. The fact that the narrator throughout was (sort of) a metaphysical-ish character made it difficult sometimes, but it was played down enough to work fine. And it was a crazy, wonderful ride regardless - the dilemmas set up were immense and presented well. Gladstone was a particularly powerful and engrossing character, and was very well portrayed - definitely a solid candidate for one of my all-time favorite characters. The universe of farcasters and particularly the consequences that played out through the climax were fascinating, and Gladstone's hand at the helm was expertly written. The chapter following the destruction of the farcaster …

Review of 'The Fall of Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Wowsers, what a ride. Fascinating universe, intriguing and wide-ranging characters, and a huge, complex story arc - perhaps at times too huge and complex. I never could really get fully on board with the mythical/metaphysical component woven throughout, which at times made things a little rough to get through. The fact that the narrator throughout was (sort of) a metaphysical-ish character made it difficult sometimes, but it was played down enough to work fine. And it was a crazy, wonderful ride regardless - the dilemmas set up were immense and presented well. Gladstone was a particularly powerful and engrossing character, and was very well portrayed - definitely a solid candidate for one of my all-time favorite characters. The universe of farcasters and particularly the consequences that played out through the climax were fascinating, and Gladstone's hand at the helm was expertly written. The chapter following the destruction of the farcaster …

Review of 'The fall of Hyperion' on 'GoodReads'

5 stars

Wowsers, what a ride. Fascinating universe, intriguing and wide-ranging characters, and a huge, complex story arc - perhaps at times too huge and complex. I never could really get fully on board with the mythical/metaphysical component woven throughout, which at times made things a little rough to get through. The fact that the narrator throughout was (sort of) a metaphysical-ish character made it difficult sometimes, but it was played down enough to work fine. And it was a crazy, wonderful ride regardless - the dilemmas set up were immense and presented well. Gladstone was a particularly powerful and engrossing character, and was very well portrayed - definitely a solid candidate for one of my all-time favorite characters. The universe of farcasters and particularly the consequences that played out through the climax were fascinating, and Gladstone's hand at the helm was expertly written. The chapter following the destruction of the farcaster …

Review of 'The Fall of Hyperion' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

This book was well written. I wasn't flabbergasted, but it was good. I was most impressed by two things: first, the wonderful blend between real and fictitious history, and especially between real and fictitious technology that Dan Simmons achieves. Simmons does not stop to explain what everything is, instead only hinting at how new technologies work or what happened in some fictitious historical event. This creates the feeling that this future world is actually a continuation of our own.

Second, I was surprised by the fact that towards the ending, the plot became very exciting and it carried me along with it, even though I was disappointed by many aspects of the book. Again, though, in the aftermath of the resolution of the important plot points, hilarity ensues as what remains of the protagonists spend some time in boring clichés.

Let's face it, folks, this book is at times a …

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Subjects

  • Crime & mystery
  • Fiction - Science Fiction
  • Science Fiction
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